1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to looms for weaving cloth in general, and to portable hand looms in particular which require no expertise to operate because of the intrinsic use of preprogrammed pattern sheets upon which data representing the desired weave and pattern have been previously entered.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Looms of prior art utilizing conventional shedding harnesses necessitate a tedious process of "dressing" or preparing the loom for use. Further, in many instances, it is difficult, if not impossible to remove a partially completed project from the loom to be set aside and subsequently replaced upon the loom and completed. Additionally, because of the utilization of a harness, the construction of such looms is such that they occupy a great deal of space. Although harness-less looms are not new in the art, many of them are difficult to operate, requiring a certain degree of expertise upon the part of the operator.
While hand looms without harnesses are not unknown, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,448 to Simons issued July 25, 1967, entitled "Portable Hand Loom for Weaving," the combination of such a construction with a preprogrammed pattern member moving in association with advancing warp threads (as shown in patents to Turner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,328, issued Dec. 15, 1942, and entitled "Paper Pattern Indicated Loom Dobby", and the patent to Whitaker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,558,284, issued June 26, 1951 and entitled "Heddle Control for Looms"), combined with the other novel features of the present loom construction and method of operation are unknown and unobvious.